Medallion
by Morrigayn DeWyvern
Summary: Gift fic for Speedsteek 360. Megatron defeats Optimus and find a medallion in the dying Prime's chest plates. M for character death and violence. No smut. Loosely based around "Alpha; Omega" but no spoilers. Final chapter is up.
1. Chapter 1

Medallion

_A/N: This is a gift fic for Speedstreek 360. The nascent idea was Speedstreek's and requested that I write a story around it. It is loosely based around _"Alpha; Omega" _episode of Transformers: Prime in that both Prime and Megatron are battling with the sabers and the Giza Plateau is the setting for this. _

_I have taken a bit of liberty with the weather patterns and rain in Egypt. There are almost never the types of storms described in my piece in Egypt. A derecho is a widespread, long-lived, straight-line windstorm that is associated with a fast-moving band of severe thunderstorms. They travel quickly in the direction of movement of their associated storms, similar to an outflow boundary (gust front), except that the wind is sustained and increases in strength behind the front, generally exceeding hurricane-force. A warm-weather phenomenon, derechos occur mostly in summer, especially during June and July in the Northern Hemisphere, within areas of moderately strong instability and moderately strong vertical wind shear. They may occur at any time of the year and occur as frequently at night as during the daylight hours._ _Unlike other thunderstorms, which typically can be heard in the distance when approaching, a derecho seems to strike suddenly. Within minutes, extremely high winds can arise, strong enough to knock over highway signs and topple large trees. These winds are accompanied by spraying rain and frequent lightning from all directions. Tornados frequently form in derechos._ _A derecho moves through quickly, but can do much damage in a short time._

_Lightning has many peculiar attributes. It can be caused by rain clouds, volcanic ash clouds, even dry air that has a buildup of static charge. It can jump from cloud to cloud, cloud to earth and even earth to cloud. It can also magnetize objects. For the record, it is not the volts alone that kill a person. People regularly survive tremendous amounts of volts of electricity if the amperage is low enough. Amperage is the more important factor when considering a lethal dose of electricity._

_The symbol on the medallion is a hammer and chisel. It is an ancient symbol of mining/miners. It has been used on heraldry, maps, and is found in masonic esoteric symbols. I had originally intended the medallion to have a good luck symbol on it, but in my research, the good luck symbols I found for miners were actually ceremonies like leaving food for the knockers, wearing clothing or shoes in a certain way. The only charms I could find were charms made in the likeness of roosters which doesn't fit into Transformers: Prime on Cybertron. I decided to take the miner's symbol and turn it into a medallion worn by miners so that in event of a cave-in the miner could be identified. It also worked to identify the caste._

_Megatron X Optimus_

_M for character death and violence. No Smut. _

Dark thunderheads roiled across the night sky. The wind fiercely driving the clouds along the derecho. Stars and the full moon disappeared in the maelstrom. Bolts of lightning arced from cloud to cloud, cloud to the ground and ground to cloud. Wind threw pebbles and sand at velocities that would crack glass and burr paint down to the primer. As the sky opened up, raindrops and hail the size of quail eggs pelted the desert and all of its inhabitants in painful, wet gouts. Dry sand became a wet slush. Dry riverbeds roared with the flood of water and rocks flowing down and into them. The ancient, broken statuary appeared to weep and silently stand watch over the maelstrom around them.

Amidst the majesty of the storm, shards of plasma from the fighting figures below could be seen. Waves of pure white energy and purple energy crashed and exploded. Two titans caught in a never ending struggle for domination over a long dead planet.

Megatron and Optimus ran towards each other in the desert. Both had their swords drawn and were bellowing. Swords met in a shower of sparks, the white of the Star Sabre blinding brilliance and the crystal of the Dark Star Sabre pulsing a diabolical, violet hue in mad elation at the violence. Optimus and Megatron each struggled to gain the upper hand. Blows, counter blows and curses could be heard for miles around. The titans were hindered by the rain, the wind and the slippery sluice beneath their peds. Blows fell off mark. Peds lost footing in the soupy mess. Optics were blinded by wind, sand, pebbles and rain. Audios rang from the sound and fury of the wind and rushing waters a well as their battle.

"At last, we take our rightful place, Optimus, as gods, wielding the power of the cosmos." Megatron growled in euphoric fury at the Prime. The two came together with swords crossing creating a miasma of energy surrounding them.

The Prime grappled with Megatron and gasped out as Megatron throttled him, "I am but a soldier, Megatron, and you are a prisoner of your own twisted delusions." Optimus threw Megatron back and raised the Star Sabre to deal the death blow to Megatron when Primus intervened.

A bolt of lightning discharged from the roiling storm in a loud crack of thunder and struck the Star Sabre pushing hundreds of millions of volts and hundreds of thousands of amperes of plasma and electricity into through the sword and through the frame of the Prime and out of his peds into the ground. Optimus jerked in agony as energy ran through him into the ground. Optimus' optics glowed bright before blowing out from the charge. Crystal and ignited energon burst from the faceplates of the Prime spraying the ground and Megatron in shards and fire. The soles of his peds melted and fused to the molten glass beneath him. The lightning magnetized Optimus' protoform and frame causing neural lines and cables to short and seize. The Prime stood as an electrified statue before Megatron as the last of the bolt of lightning dissipated into the ground.

Megatron growled and rolled to his peds to take advantage of a boon so unexpectedly granted. With a growl, Megatron drove the Dark Star Sabre up into the abdomen of Optimus with all of his might. The wicked blade serrated and sawed its way through the Prime's internals and sprouted from his back stuts between his shoulders. Optimus hissed and slowly collapsed as the magnetizing effect of the lightning gave way. Rivulets of energon erupted from his wounds running wetly down his body, the sword he was impaled upon and the gladiator. He slid down the blade to the hilt and collapsed on to Megatron who knelt below him.

Megatron could not support the weight of the Prime at the angle he was kneeling at. The body of Optimus slumped across the shoulders of Megatron, and he felt the Star Sabre fall and slide wetly from Optimus' hands down his back to clatter on the broken stones and gravel of the battlefield. Megatron roared as he struggled to stand and push the Prime off. As he stood, the Prime's body shifted and slid down the Dark Star Sabre cleaving his chest plates. Optimus fell into an ungainly pile with a loud thud. Megatron rolled his shoulders and lifted the Dark Star Sabre to the sky and gave an exultant scream of victory.

As quickly as the storm rolled in, it dissipated leaving an unearthly quiet after the deafening cacophony. Stars and the moon quickly reappeared to bear witness to the events on the broken and ancient plateau in one of the cradles of human civilization. Megatron could hear his own ventilations and the popping and cooling of his own frame. He looked down at the broken Prime that lay before him. A puddle of energon grew steadily beneath Optimus soaking and disappearing into the sand.

While Optimus was gravely injured, Megatron could see the spark of the Prime beating erratically through the fissures of the cloven chest plates of the Prime. He could hear the gurgling of energon and other fluids rattling incoherently as the Prime struggled to draw a broken breath. Fluids trickled down the vacant abyss of the Prime's annihilated optics.

Megatron knelt down beside the Prime and drove the Dark Star Sabre deep into the sand so that it stood, "Well, Prime, we have come to the inevitable conclusion. It is time, Optimus, for you to surrender the Matrix and return to your Primus."

Megatron grasped the chest plates of the Prime and yanked them open. Metal shrieked as the chest plates crumpled and gave way to the mighty strength of the old gladiator. Optimus' ventilations hitched but he gave no voice. Megatron could see that Dark Star Sabre had pierced just below the Prime's spark chamber and cut the lower portions of the chamber's energon lines and conduits which caused instability in the Prime's spark. Fissures and cracks were spreading through the crystal of the spark chamber as the Prime's spark expanded and immolated, but the Prime's light had not yet extinguished. Optimus' spark would continue to expand and finally burst free of its chamber instantly killing the mech.

Megatron chucked at the sight and reached in to take the Matrix which was nestled at the top of Optimus spark chamber. He stopped and stared in shock. Nestled beside the Matrix was a small miner's medallion twinkling in the dying light of the Prime's spark.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: I did some more research on mining. Mining has very specific symbols and terminology. There has been recorded confusion within rescues of mining accidents when the rescue teams incorrectly read or misunderstood symbols and terminology. Furthermore, miners often developed a jargon or language all their own. One of the mining languages, _Fanagalo, _which is_ _still in use but is diminishing every day_. _It is a pidgin language developed in the precious mineral and gem mines in South Africa and to a lesser extent in surrounding countries. What makes it unique is that the pidgin language is developed from the indigenous language of the tribal peoples that work the mines and not from the colonial or trading power. _Fanagalo _dialects in South Africa and Zimbabwe is based mostly on Zulu vocabulary (about 70%), with English (about 25%) and some words from Afrikaans (5%). It does not have the range of Zulu inflections, and it tends to follow English word order. _

_As this relates to my story, the medallion found has glyphs on the back that are part of the specific mining caste and culture. It would not have been known or poorly understood if read by someone outside of the caste. For those that don't know, D-16 was the designation of Megatron before he took the name Megatronus/Megatron._

Megatron stared at the medallion. He shuttered his optics and rebooted them twice. On its front, there was the chisel and hammer symbol of the mining caste, an image as old as Primus. The medallion, forged of Cybertronium, was old and heavily scuffed and scarred with marks typical of mining. This one also had nicks from blades and a few blast marks from combat in the pits of Kaon. Megatron would recognize that medallion anywhere, but doubt still lingered in his processor. With shaky hands, he reached into the Prime's chest and touched the medallion. It was hanging by an ancient chain that was broken and repaired many times in its long life. Megatron gently grasped the medallion in his clawed hand and yanked it from Optimus. The chain gave easily. He held the chain up and watched the medallion spin sending tiny sparks of purple and white from the light of the Dark Star Sabre and the failing spark of Optimus. With his free hand, Megatron stopped the spinning medallion and turned to read the glyphs on the back.

The medallion had something etched deeply into the medallion's blank side though the etching was worn and beginning to blur. D-16 was cut into the medallion in the glyphs of the mining language and caste. Few other Cybertronians knew of the language or could read it. Megatron's hand began to tremble so badly that the medallion seemed to pop and bounce before falling quietly into the sand.

Megatron turned accusing optics toward the dying Prime and grasped him harshly by the shoulder struts and shook them frantically. Optimus helm rolled loosely back and forth.

"Where did you get that medallion, Optimus? Answer me! Where is my son…what have you done with him?"

Optimus' ventilations quickened at Megatron's ravings. He tried to speak but choked on energon. He coughed weakly sending rivulets of energon trailing down his lip plates. He could feel the fractures in his spark casing spreading in agonizing patterns and knew his time was at hand.

Optimus weakly whispered and Megatron had to lean in close to the Prime's lip plates to hear his broken words, "Farewell…creator…" Optimus gasped as another fracture developed. His protoform was over heating as he drew a shallow breath. "We may meet again in another life…not again in this one…"

With those final words, Optimus exhaled his last ventilation never to draw another. Megatron heard the shattering of his enemy's spark chamber, felt the shards ping and tinkle on his armor and saw the spark of the last Prime expand and rise into the air like ball lightning before diffusing into nothing.

Megatron's optics flicked from the medallion to the destroyed spark chamber to the sky over and over. "No…he has to be mistaken…this can't be true…." Megatron murmured like a broken record over and over.

Megatron flinched when the green explosion of a ground bridge opened. He saw the ancient medic, Ratchet, walk though. He saw the stricken expression on the medic's faceplates and the beginning of tears in his optics. Under other circumstances, Megatron would be rejoicing and taunting the medic now he had only questions and suspicions.

"Well, Megatron, you have what you have sought for so long. Our Prime is dead." Ratchet said mournfully.

"Never mind that, medic. Explain this." Megatron held up a small miner's medallion.

Ratchet snarled, "Is nothing sacred to you, Megatron? That is the only thing Orion and later Optimus had of his origins. You seek now to rob the dead?"

Megatron began to shake uncontrollably at Ratchet's words. "What do you mean? Orion told me he was mentored by Alpha Trion…."Megatron rose quickly and stood menacingly over Ratchet.

Ratchet snorted and used a tone that Megatron was dense, "He was mentored by Alpha Trion. What Orion didn't tell you is that he was not sparked from the All Spark but was a rare birthed sparkling that was abandoned. Alpha Trion found him on the steps of the Temple of Primus in Kaon as he was returning to the ground bridge after a meeting with Halogen. The only thing Orion had on his being to determine his origins was a miner's medallion tied to his ped. The glyphs were unreadable even to Alpha Trion."

Megatron groaned as the Ratchet's words spilled into his audios. He whispered, "The language and glyphs are only known by miners…not even the Records Keeper would have known…"

Ratchet was confused at Megatron's words and actions. "What is it to you?"

Megatron swayed on his peds and fell to his knee struts beside the corpse of Optimus Prime.

"That miner's medallion was mine. I put it on the ped of my only child the day I birthed him and he was left at the Temple. I could not care for him…" Megatron purged energon at the thoughts that roiled through his processor.

Ratchet sputtered and had to reset his voice coder twice to speak. His optics were wide as saucers. His spark was racing and his fuel tank was turning over. "Optimus Prime was your child?!" Ratchet shrieked.

Megatron gave a dark, broken sob. "Even worse…abomination." Megatron's optics darkened lost in memories.

Ratchet put his hands to his lip plates to prevent the shrieks as memories tumbled form Megatron in a torrent.

"It was a fight that introduced me to Orion's sire. That Primus-damned general had his optics set on me from the first. He had sponsored the pit fight and the gladiator that fought against me. When I won and extinguished the other's spark, he came down into the pit and awarded me handsomely in credits. He also requested that I join him in a celebration. I normally wouldn't have, but he had the hungry look. I hadn't had an interface for a long while, and it was always delicious to have some upper class mech or femme screaming in pleasure as I spiked them."

Megatron sneered, "They came slumming to the Pits in Kaon to get debauched and whisper to each other scandalized titters about their escapades when they returned to the Towers."

Megatron stopped for a moment. Ratchet's processor whirled at the implications. "I hadn't counted on that Primus-damned general drugging the energon. The nobles always opened their valves for us gladiators. I never knew a gladiator that got spiked. I woke the next morning with a sore valve and a sore spark. I was beyond enraged that I had been violated…seal taken…I swore vengeance, too."

Megatron grinned evilly, "The general had an unfortunate accident when he sponsored another pit fight."

Megatron ventilated heavily and rand a taloned finger across the now dull grey faceplates of Optimus. "I didn't know I was carrying until I felt the sparkling kick. By that time, it was too late to purge it. I did what I could to make sure I had enough energon and supplements. Saw a medic when I could. I still fought, but was faster at the kill. Soundwave was my only companion…brave and loyal Soundwave…he delivered the sparkling when the time for emergence came. I knew I could not keep the mechling, but oh Primus, my spark ached at the idea. I held him for an hour or so. Then Soundwave bundled him up, and I took off my miner's medallion and tied it to his ped. It was the only thing of value I had. Soundwave took him away to the Temple. It seemed the best place for the mechling to survive."

Megatron fell silent lost again in the thoughts of vorns lost and never to come again.

Ratchet gasped to reign in his emotions and then spoke. "Survive he did. Alpha Trion took the sparkling to Iacon. I was the medic who examined him upon arrival. He was strong and healthy. Alpha Trion named him Orion Pax. He kept the medallion because he understood the foundling's creator wanted him to have it. Orion thrived with Alpha. I saw them often as Orion grew."

Megatron groaned. "The first time I ever laid optics on Orion, I knew I had to have him. My desire knew no bounds. I could see the answering need in the young mech. Our thoughts, desires and dreams complimented each other. When we came together, it was as natural and complete as the suns and moons rising. I took his seal then his spark and valve every chance we could."

Megatron remembered the perfect, wet heat from Orion's valve clenching tightly around his spike. He remembered their sparks merging and swirling in harmony. He remembered taking the data clerk against the walls of the pit, on the floor of his quarters, on a balcony in the Hall of Records overlooking Iacon. He remembered the keening and whimpers Orion made when he overloaded. He remembered Orion licking and sucking his spike. Greedily drinking the gift that Megatron's body offered. Megatron remembered the sweet rush of lubricant and heady scents as he lapped and licked at Orion's valve. He remembered them twined together in love in a berth whispering hopes and plans for the future.

Megatron retched in revulsion and cried out. "No wonder, events conspired to drive us to part, to eventually to hate and destroy all that we held dear. There is not greater pollution to Primus and Unicron than to lay with one's child. The Prime of all of Cybertron was an abomination, and our pollution corrupted our planet and our people. We grind ourselves to oblivion and our planet has been destroyed to wash away such foul and odious crimes."

Ratchet shook his helm at the revelations. "Is there nothing to be done?"

Megatron nodded to himself and stood. He grabbed the Dark Star Sabre and yanked it from the sands. Ratchet stumbled back warily. "Yes, Ratchet, there is something. This evil ends here."

Faster than Ratchet could move, Megatron twirled the blade toward himself and drove the blade swiftly upward into his midsection and directly into his spark chamber. Megatron howled in agony, but did not stop his movement. He turned the blade ninety degrees and drew it the blade from left to right across his midsection severing all major bio-metallic organs and energon lines in the process. Energon and other vital fluids exploded from the wound spraying Ratchet, the sand and the dead Prime. Megatron fell forward and the blade of dark energon exploded from his back as he collapsed onto Optimus. The medallion was crushed between them and became heavily soaked in both of their energon.

"It is done." Megatron whispered as his spark extinguished.

Ratchet screamed and dropped to his knees to turn Megatron over. It was too late and damage was too severe. Megatron was dead. His dead, crimson optics stared at the nothing above.

Ratchet sobbed, "Dear Primus, have we not all suffered enough?"

A pulsing light caught Ratchet's optic within the corpse of Optimus. With hope surging, he turned to the Prime praying for a spark beat. A closer look revealed a cold and void spark chamber. The Matrix of Leadership pulsed brightly at Ratchet, and it shot a beam out and struck Ratchet in the middle of his chest plates.

Ratchet watched in amazement as his chest plates folded back of their own accord and the energy from the Matrix inundated his spark. He heard the voice of Optimus.

"Old friend, my Carrier and I are reconciled. Do not grieve."

Ratchet was hopeful. "You and Megatron are in the All Spark?"

Ratchet felt the negative energies from Optimus and the fainter energies of Megatron. "No, Ratchet, Primus will not permit us to return to the All Spark, and Unicron will not permit us a place in his Pit. We are abomination and as such have no place until the gods choose to grant us an undeserved mercy, but we have found an understanding and are at peace."

Ratchet grieved for his lost Prime and the gladiator. He felt the presences of the Prime and gladiator retreat and then found himself before Primus. "Heal my creations, Ratchet."

Ratchet spat to Primus angrily, "Why? They didn't know. Why destroy them…Cybertron…your very creations!"

Ratchet could feel the grief and pain of his creator. "My child, these things were written by Fate. Not even I or my brother, Unicron, can change the hand of Fate."

Ratchet quailed at the revelation. "Is there no hope, Primus?"

"Yes, Ratchet, you are that hope. Heal my creations and their home."

"How?" Ratchet spat testily even as he accepted the burden from Primus.

Primus retreated as the Matrix of Leadership uploaded into Ratchet and the wisdom of the Primes, even Optimus, became one with Ratchet. "That path is for you to choose, Medicus Prime."

The nascent Prime stood there amidst the dead and stared at the miner's medallion. Slowly, Medicus reached down to collect the bloody thing. He stared at the symbol of their entire affliction. As he stood, Medicus heard the screech of an incoming flyer and the transformation sequence.

Soundwave dropped from the skies in a loud thud. Gravel and sand where thrown everywhere. He stood straight. He turned his blank faceplate to Optimus and Megatron. Soundwave's faceplate fell from his face revealing purple optics and aquiline features contorted in grief. He then turned to face Medicus Prime. Soundwave could feel the energies around the 'bot formerly known as Ratchet. The Matrix had made its choice. What surprised Soundwave was the small miner's medallion held in the nascent Prime's hands. His ventilations caught. He remembered tying it to the ped of his slain lord's sparkling many vorns ago before taking him to the Temple of Primus is Kaon.

Medicus Prime noticed Soundwave's attention and spoke, "They were Carrier and child, Soundwave. How many more creators and creations will destroy each other? How many bondmates? How many siblings? Optimus Prime and Megatron destroyed each other. Our planet is dead. Our people are lost and scattered." Soundwave trembled at the nascent Prime's words. Each word was a wound upon his spark.

Soundwave turned from Medicus Prime and knelt down in the energon soaked sands and gently reached his long spindly arms to touch Optimus' faceplates as he did when he first held the sparkling he delivered from Megatron. He then turned and looked at Megatron's face plates remembering their first fight that resulted in the draw. He remembered their close friendship; battles fought, both won and lost. He remembered the joy of his lord rising seemingly from death and bringing Starscream under control. Soundwave thought of his unwavering resolve and loyalty to Megatron and the Decepticons.

Soundwave laid his faceplates on the chest plates of Megatron. The Master of Spies…The Silent Wraith wept.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Medallion has one more chapter. I am posting this short note in response to Pissed off Reade. This is the one and only time I will respond to a flamer. I will not justify my writing again.

I write horror of primarily the psychological and emotional bent. It is in bold on my profile. I have been on for year. Those who follow my work know that I write primarily horror and lighter angst from time to time. Those who don't follow my work but recognize my nome de plume know this. I always put warnings in my summaries as well as in the a/n at the beginning of my work. I take a lot of time, effort and research to write. I strive to produce visceral emotions from my readers of the darker nature: anger, rage, hate, depression, sadness, grief, loneliness and pain. If my readers are horrified, as you are Pissed Off Reade, with what I have written, then I have done my job well. That is the whole intent of those who write horror. If you are disturbed by your reactions to my writing, then that is your personal problem. Lashing out at the writer is trite and immature.

I am quite aware that my writing does not appeal to the majority of readers on , but I do have a devoted following of those who do want something other than romance, fluff, crack, cute and neat happy endings. One does not have to read my work. I do not bait and switch with summaries to lure readers. If my work is not to your tastes, dear reader, then read other works from authors that appeal to your predilections.

As to reporting me to Hasbro, Hasbro has killed Optimus Prime more times than I could ever write even though he is a beloved character. Furthermore, Hasbro does not have a cease and desist policy for fan fiction like Anne Rice and other authors or franchises. I have complete artistic freedom to write as I choose. Transformers: Prime is my chosen universe to write in because of its darker and mature themes.

Dear reader, you may tell others not to read my work. That is your right and privilege that I encourage. You may even try to get my work banned from if you so choose. I will not stop writing horror. I will continue to write as my muse inspires me.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: This is the final installment of Medallion. Thank you all for your support. Master of Gray, I always enjoy your reviews. No apology is ever necessary for an honest and thoughtful review with constructive criticism from anyone._

_This story was heavily influenced by _Oedipus Rex by Sophocles _with the themes of incest, religious pollution, and fate as the Greeks and Romans understood it. Fate is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. It is a concept based on the belief that there is a fixed natural order to the cosmos._ _Although the words are used interchangeably in many cases, __**fate**__ and __**destiny**__ can be distinguished. _

_Traditional usage defines fate as a power or agency that predetermines and orders the course of events. Fate defines events as ordered or "inevitable" and unavoidable. Classical and European mythology features three goddesses dispensing fate, known as Moirai in Greek mythology, as Parcae in Roman mythology, and as Norns in Norse mythology. They determine the events of the world through the mystic spinning of threads that represent individual human fates. _

_Destiny is used with regard to the finality of events as they have worked themselves out; and that same sense of Destination, projected into the future to become the flow of events as they will work themselves out. In other words, fate relates to events of the future and present of an individual and in cases in literature unalterable, whereas destiny relates to the probable future. Fate implies no choice, but with destiny the entity is participating in achieving an outcome that is directly related to itself. Participation happens willfully._

_The intense desire felt by Carrier and Creation is actually based around a psycho-social theory called _Genetic Sexual Attraction (GSA). _Genetic sexual attraction is a term that describes the phenomenon of sexual attraction between close relatives, such as siblings, first and second cousins or a parent and offspring, who first meet as adults._ _The term was popularized in the US in the late 1980s by Barbara Gonyo, the founder of Truth Seekers In Adoption, a Chicago-based support group for adoptees and their new-found relatives._

_Genetic sexual attraction is presumed to occur as a consequence of genetic relatives meeting as adults, typically as a consequence of adoption. Although this is a rare consequence of adoptive reunions, the large number of adoptive reunions in recent years means that a larger number of people are affected. If a sexual relationship is entered, it is known as incest. GSA is rare between people raised together in early childhood due to a reverse sexual imprinting known as the Westermarck effect, which desensitizes them to later close sexual attraction; it is hypothesized that this effect evolved to prevent inbreeding._

_Several factors may contribute to GSA. People commonly rank faces similar to their own as more attractive, trustworthy, etc. than average. Heredity produces substantial physical similarity between close relatives. However, Bereczkei (2004) attributes this in part to childhood imprinting on the opposite-sex parent. Shared interests and personality traits are commonly considered desirable in a mate. The heritability of these qualities is a matter of great debate; to whatever extent they are heritable, they will tend to cluster in close relatives. In cases of parent-child attraction, the parent may recognize traits of their own in the child and ultimately end up mating with them. Such reunions typically produce complex emotions in all involved._

Medicus Prime stood with Soundwave, the new Decepticon Leader, on the open deck of the Nemesis as it orbited high in the Earth's atmosphere. Medicus felt the cold wind whip through his armor and into his circuits and protoform. For all that the temperature was frigid, it help to clear his processor and overwrought protoform. He ventilated heavily and stared at the stars and moon that were visible from the high altitude. Medicus turned to Soundwave who also had his blank face plate to the skies reflecting the stars. Both turned silently to look out on the gathered Cybertronians. It was time.

Decepticons stood on one side with the remainder of the officer's corps in the front. Knock Out stood stoic and resolved. Shockwave looked uncomfortable and confused. Dreadwing was anguished at the death of his lord. His wings twitched and vibrated in distress. Starscream was noticeably absent. None of communiques sent to the rogue Decepticon had been answered. Airachnid was in a stasis pod in the Autobot base. Vehicons were in rows behind the officers and the Insecticons made up the last.

Autobots stood on the other side. Arcee was the new second in command. She stood strong and steady with her arm around Bumblebee. At her side and leaning heavily upon her was Bumblebee who was lost in grief at the death of the only Sire figure he had ever known. He chirred and hiccupped as he buried his faceplates into the small femme's shoulder struts. His wings lay heavily against his back. Bulkhead and Smokescreen, the two with the strongest military leanings, were at attention but tears flowed freely from their optics down their faceplates. At their peds, in space suits, were Jack, June, Raf, Miko and Agent Fowler all leaning on each other for support during such a painful time.

In the center of the gathering stood an upright, crystal sarcophagus. Within the crystal stood the pristine remains of Optimus Prime and Megatron. Knock Out and Medicus Prime had worked many hours to repair the damage so that to onlookers, Optimus and Megatron looked to be whole and at peace. Optimus and Megatron were placed back to back. Clasped in Optimus' hands was the legendary Star Sabre and within Megatron's the hilt of the Dark Star Sabre. The blades touched the peds of the warriors. Optimus faced the Autobots and Megatron faced the Decepticons.

Medicus Prime spoke. "We are gathered here aboard the Nemesis to honor our fallen leaders and to bid them a peaceful rest until all are one." Those attending faithfully recited, "Until All Are One."

Medicus Prime then went on with his thoughts, "We are Cybertronians. We have forgotten that in the millions of vorns we have been at war. Optimus and Megatron lost their way in the dark miasma of war, destruction and vengeance and we, all of us, followed. The culture that predicated the Great War is no more. The caste system is no more. Those who stood to gain from the caste system have found their way to the All Spark or the Pit. Our very planet…the source of our lives is dying. Our people are scattered and lost. What will fight over? A few paltry relics? Will we grind ourselves to oblivion over discarded trinkets from a lost age on a dead planet? How many more will die?" Medicus Prime ended in a painful sob.

Soundwave listened to Medicus Prime's impassioned plea. At the end of the nascent Prime's short speech, Soundwave moved forward.

Many on both sides looked awed at the idea that the silent one would speak. Instead, Soundwave played across his blank faceplate the earliest speeches of Megatron and his passionate words of change and hope for a better Cybertron where a Cybertronian was measured by his inherent worth not the caste he was sparked or birthed into. The demands for social justice and equality. He showed a slide show of the faces of those that flocked to Megatron's banner. Those scarred and beat down by their lot in life. Broken and hungry. The despondent and the hopeless. All with hope for a better Cybertron.

To everyone's surprise, Soundwave then moved to the words of the late Prime. Words that echoed what Megatron had said but in the Prime's soft baritone. Freedom was the right of all sentient beings. Optimus' words showed the inherent evil of the caste system but with logic and thought not the hot and passionate words of Megatron. Soundwave then began to show the faces of those who flocked to the Prime. Faces of the elite, the poor, and the broken. All with hope for a better Cybertron.

Soundwave's last montages were pictures and glyphs of the fallen on both sides of the war beginning with Cliffjumper, Skyquake and Breakdown. Names and faces poured forth for hours. Decepticon and Autobot alike mourned the loss of their kin and realized the error of their leaders. The last name and face flickered across Soundwave's faceplate and his faceplate went stygian black. Soundwave stepped to the crystal sarcophagus and laid one spindly hand over Megatron's chest plates above the vacant spark chamber. His forehelm rested on the crystal for a long moment. To everyone's surprise, Soundwave then moved to the dead Prime's side and did the same. He finally turned to take his place with the Decepticons.

Medicus Prime was the next to say good bye to the gladiator and the dead Prime. He openly sobbed as he lay his faceplates against the dead Prime's side of the sarcophagus. He then laid his hands on the crystal covering Megatron's hands and fervently prayed for peace for the tormented gladiator even as he sobbed. He then took his place with the Autobots.

That was the signal for those present to approach the tomb of the dead and say their goodbyes. Decepticon and Autobot moved in uneasy alliance forged in grief. Some brokenly grieved both. Others grieved their own lord. Some took the chance to see the faceplates of the leader of the enemy.

Once everyone had their chance to say good bye, Medicus Prime stood forth among the mingled Cybertronians. With a small flick of a switch, thrusters attached to the crystal sarcophagus ignited. In silent awe, Optimus Prime and Megatron were sent to their eternal rest in the sun of this solar system. Medicus Prime and Soundwave agreed that it was best so that no shrines or relics could be made of the dead to further their mistakes or to further risk the wrath of the fate or the gods.

No one save the nascent Prime and Soundwave knew of the grievous sin that resulted in the loss of their people and home. No one ever would know that Optimus Prime and Megatron were Creation and Creator fated to destroy themselves and all they held dear.

Soundwave and Medicus Prime worked out a truce and eventual peace. It was a long and arduous process with naysayers on both sides and those that refused to stop the destruction. Medicus Prime and Soundwave were not deterred. Both had sworn by Primus and Unicron and on the sparks of Optimus and Megatron that their suffering and sacrifices were not in vain. Each also hoped to Primus that the fate of Optimus and Megatron had been fulfilled…that those who lived were free to fulfill their own destinies.

When it felt like it was all too much, Medicus Prime and Soundwave would remove a small miner's medallion from a hidden box aboard the Nemesis. They would contemplate the worn medallion, remember all the events surrounding this tiny medallion of a hammer and chisel and turn to read the glyphs on it back. On its back were the worn miner's glyphs of Megatron's name, D-16. In High Cybertronian glyphs was the name of Orion Pax/Optimus Prime in fresh, deep engravings.


End file.
